Bio-separation is a crucial process in biotechnology and biochemical engineering for separating biological macromolecules, and the field has long relied on bead-based and expanded bed chromatography. Printed monolith adsorption (PMA) is a new alternative to which uses a 3D-printed monolithic structure containing self-supporting, ordered flow channels. PMA allows for direct purification of biological molecules from crude cell lysates and cell cultures, and like the other technologies, can functionalized to specifically target a molecule and enable affinity chromatography. Here we have combined PMA technology with an immobilized metal affinity ligand (iminodiacetic acid) to provide selectivity of binding to polyhistidine-tagged proteins during PMA chromatography. Two different PMA structures were created and tested for both static and dynamic protein-binding capacity. At comparative linear flow rates, the dynamic binding capacity of both columns was ≈3 mg/mL, while static capacity was shown to differentiate based on column voidage. We show that a polyhistidine-tagged protein can be directly purified from crude lysate with comparable results to the available commercial providers of IMAC, and with a substantially reduced purification time.

Given the substantial environmental pollution from industrial expansion, environmental protection has become particularly important. Nowadays, anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are widely used in wastewater treatment. With the use of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer, and methyl iminodiacetic acid (MIDA), a series of cross-linked AEMs were successfully prepared using the solvent casting technique, and the network structure was formed in the membranes due to the cross-linking reaction between PVA/EVOH and MIDA. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to analyze the prepared membranes. At the same time, its comprehensive properties which include water uptake, linear expansion rate, ion exchange capacity, thermal stability, chemical stability, and mechanical stability were thoroughly researched. In addition, diffusion dialysis performance in practical applications was also studied in detail. The acid dialysis coefficient (UH+) ranged from 10.2 to 35.6 × 10-3 m/h. Separation factor (S) value ranged from 25 to 38, which were all larger than that of the commercial membrane DF-120 (UH+: 8.5 × 10-3 m/h, S: 18.5). The prepared membranes had potential application value in acid recovery.

The adsorption property of the costless green cellulose acetate (CA) was boosted by the dual modifications: inner modification by incorporating carboxylated graphene oxide (COOH-GO) into the CA spheres and outer modification by the surface modification of the COOH-GO@CA spheres by iminodiacetic acid (IDA) for removing Pb(II). The adsorption experiments of the Pb(II) proceeded in a batch mode to evaluate the adsorption property of the COOH-GO@CA@IDA spheres. The maximal Pb(II) adsorption capacity attained 613.30 mg/g within 90 min at pH = 5. The removal of Pb(II) reached its equilibrium within 20 min, and the removal % was almost 100% after 30 min at the low Pb(II) concentration. The Pb(II) adsorption mechanism was proposed according to the kinetics and isotherms studies; in addition, the zeta potential (ZP) measurements and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis defined the adsorption pathways. By comparing the XPS spectra of the authentic and used COOH-GO@CA@IDA, it was deduced that the contributed chemical adsorption pathways are Lewis acid-base, precipitation, and complexation. The zeta potential (ZP) measurements demonstrated the electrostatic interaction participation in adsorbing the cationic Pb(II) species onto the negatively charged spheres (ZP = 14.2 mV at pH = 5). The unique channel-like pores of the COOH-GO@CA@IDA spheres suggested the pore-filling mechanism of Pb(II). The promising adsorption results and the superb recyclability character of COOH-GO@CA@IDA enable it to extend of the bench scale to the industrial scale.

Supramolecular metallogels combine the rheological properties of gels with the color, magnetism, and other properties of metal ions. Lanthanide ions such as Eu(III) can be valuable components of metallogels due to their fascinating luminescence. In this work, we combine Eu(III) and iminodiacetic acid (IDA) into luminescent hydrogels. We investigate the tailoring of the rheological properties of these gels by changes in their metal:ligand ratio. Further, we use the highly sensitive Eu(III) luminescence to obtain information about the chemical structure of the materials. In special, we take advantage of computational calculations to employ an indirect method for structural elucidation, in which the simulated luminescent properties of candidate structures are matched to the experimental data. With this strategy, we can propose molecular structures for different EuIDA gels. We also explore the usage of these gels for the loading of bioactive molecules such as OXA, observing that its aldose reductase activity remains present in the gel. We envision that the findings from this work could inspire the development of luminescent hydrogels with tunable rheology for applications such as 3D printing and imaging-guided drug delivery platforms. Finally, Eu(III) emission-based structural elucidation could be a powerful tool in the characterization of advanced materials.

OBJECTIVE: Sarcopenia is a morbi-mortality risk factor in digestive surgery, though its impact after major hepatectomy (MH) remains unknown. This prospective pilot study investigated whether volume and function of a regenerating liver is influenced by body composition.
METHODS: From 2011 to 2016, 125 consecutive patients had computed tomography and 99mTc-labelled-mebrofenin SPECT-scintigraphy before and after MH at day 7 and 1 month for measurements of liver volumes and functions. L3 vertebra muscle mass identified sarcopenia. Primary endpoint was the impact of sarcopenia on regeneration capacities (i.e. volume/function changes and post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) rate). Secondary endpoint was 3-month morbi-mortality.
RESULTS: Sarcopenic patients (SP; N = 69) were significantly older than non-sarcopenic (NSP), with lower BMI and more malignancies, but with comparable liver function/volume at baseline. Postoperatively, SP showed higher rates of ISGLS_PHLF (24.6 % vs 10.9 %; p = 0.05) but with comparable rates of severe morbidity (23.2 % vs 16.4 %; p = 0.35), overall (8.7 % vs 3.6 %; p = 0.3) and PHLF-related mortality (8,7 % vs 1.8 %; p = 0.075). After matching on the extent of resection or using propensity score, regeneration and PHLF rates were similar.
CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study using first sequential SPECT-scintigraphy showed that sarcopenia by itself does not affect liver regeneration capacities and short-term postoperative course after MH.

Bilothorax, an exudative pleural effusion due to the accumulation of bile. It is also called cholethorax or thoracobilia and was initially reported in 1971. Here, we report a rare case of an elderly male presenting with bilateral bilothorax due to esophageal rupture. A 78-year-old man with multiple medical ailments presented to the emergency room (ER) with a severe episode of vomiting accompanied by a popping sound, respiratory distress, and right sided chest pain. The patient had tachycardia, BP of 101/89 mm Hg, and tachypnea. Computed tomography scan of the chest and abdomen revealed air adjacent to the esophagus, suggesting perforation, atelectasis of right lung, and bilateral pleural effusion (R > L). However, an esophagram did not reveal any perforation. Right-sided chest tube drained dark green bilious fluid. The day after admission, he experienced hemodynamic compromise and hypoxemia requiring intubation, along with fluids and inotropes support. Diagnosis of bilateral bilothorax complicated by hypoxemic respiratory failure with septic shock was made. Cultures were drawn, and empiric antibiotics were started. Nuclear hepatobiliary scan (HIDA) was performed to rule out a hepatobiliary fistula. Results showed reflux activity in the stomach, and distal esophageal leak was identified. Gastrojejunal stenting was performed. However, after prolonged intubation, the family decided on terminal extubation, and he died while receiving hospice care. This case highlights the rarity of bilateral bilothorax, where the HIDA scan played a crucial role in identifying an esophageal leak as the underlying cause, despite normal esophagram results. This condition necessitates prompt diagnosis and aggressive therapeutic interventions.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if three new simplified equations for measurement of free mebrofenin clearance give similar results to the equations defined by Ekman et. al ., and to evaluate the properties of all four methods. Regional mebrofenin clearance has been used to predict future remnant liver function and liver failure after regional liver therapy, such as partial hepatic resection.
METHODS: The means, standard deviations, and correlations of the free mebrofenin clearance measured by the Ekman method and the three simplified methods were compared in a consecutive series of 26 studies in 20 patients. The fractional change in the blood and free mebrofenin activities were compared, and integrals of normalized blood and free mebrofenin (\"effective times\") were compared.
RESULTS: The average percent free mebrofenin clearance for the Ekman and the first, second and third simplified methods were 13.62 ± 2.88%/min, 12.98 ± 2.97%/min, 12.52 ± 2.81%/min and 15.03 ± 2.27%/min, respectively. The correlations of the new methods with Ekman were 0.97, 0.93 and 0.93. The fractional changes during the measurement interval for the blood and free mebrofenin activities were 0.381 ± 0.065 and 0.329 ± 0.062, difference 0.052, P  < 0.5. The integrals of normalized blood and free mebrofenin activities were 2.566 ± 0.160 min and 2.661 ± 0.158 min, difference of 0.094 min and P  < 0.05.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of the three new methods were similar to the Ekman method. The first simplified method was identified as the lead method for clinical validation in a larger population.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that patients with abdominal pain and biliary dyskinesia (low ejection fraction <35 ​%) have significant improvement of symptoms following laparoscopic cholecystectomy, but there is lack of evidence that demonstrates whether patients with biliary symptoms and a normal ejection fraction (>35 ​%) will have similar results.
METHODS: Retrospective, single center study of patients with biliary pain and negative workup, including HIDA with EF>35 ​%, who were treated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy from 2017 to 2022.
RESULTS: There were 117 total patients. The mean age was 45.49 ​± ​15.5 years and 101 (86 ​%) were female. 101 (86 ​%) of patients underwent a right upper quadrant ultrasound, 91 had normal findings, 9 difficult to visualize anatomy and 1 had adenomyomatosis. All patients had a normal HIDA scan and ejection fraction 104 (89 ​%) of patients followed up in clinic within 30 days of surgical intervention. 87 (84 ​%) reported resolution of pre-operative symptomatology after surgical intervention. There was no statistically significant correlation between pain with CCK administration during HIDA (p ​= ​0.803) scan or ejection fraction (p ​= ​0.0977) with resolution of symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy appears to be a beneficial intervention for patients with abdominal pain and normokinetic biliary disease. Offering surgical intervention early on can potentially save patients from exhaustive diagnostic investigations and possibly misdiagnosis.

This study aimed to extract collagen-I from lamb feet (LF) and examine the effects of ultrasound treatment on the structural and molecular characteristics of the collagen. Compared to ultrasonic bath treatment and conventional extraction methods, ultrasonic probe (USP) treatment significantly increased the collagen content of the extract (p < 0.05). The electrophoretic profiles confirmed the presence of α- and β-chains, indicating it as type I. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and circular dichroism spectra analyses revealed that the extraction method did not adversely affect the triple helix structure of the collagen. Moreover, the fibrillar structure of the collagen samples was verified through scanning electron microscopy analyses. Notably, the LF collagen exhibited a high thermal denaturation temperature owing to its elevated imino acid content. The collagen samples exhibited high solubility in acidic pH but low solubility in high salt concentrations. The present findings signified that sonication with USP can effectively enhance the yield of collagen from LF without compromising its quality. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study showed that ultrasonication enhanced the collagen concentration without disturbing the integrity of lamb feet collagen. We expect that lamb feet collagen can be used for industrial processes and consumer products thanks to unique product properties.

Surimi industry produces a large quantity of byproducts that are currently being utilized to produce low-value commodities. This study aims to extract gelatin from pink perch skin and bone obtained from the surimi industry using a green single-step extraction method. In addition to using a green solvent, that is, acetic acid, the new method combines the multiple steps of pre-treatment and hydrolysis into one single-step extraction process. Response surface methodology was used to optimize extraction parameters (pH, temperature, and time) to maximize yield and l-hydroxyproline (l-hyp) content. The optimum condition for gelatin extraction was obtained at pH 3, 75°C, and 30 min. At optimum conditions, gelatin yield and l-hyp content were observed to be 16.07% and 41.26 mg g-1 , respectively. The gelatin obtained at optimized condition was further compared with commercial bovine gelatin (BG) in terms of chemical composition and textural, functional, and rheological properties. The results suggested that the optimized pink perch gelatin had higher protein content (92.06%), better gel strength (251.08 g), higher imino acid (18.01%), and improved textural and functional properties than the commercially available BG. The optimized single-step gelatin extraction method from pink perch skin and bones is a promising, rapid, and efficient method for the production of good-quality gelatin, which can be further used for the development of high-value products such as food formulations. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Fish gelatin is widely used in food product development. Most of the existing methods of the development of high-value product such as gelatin, use multi-step process and harsh mineral acid, therefore, are time-consuming and harmful to the environment. This study provides a green single-step gelatin extraction method that provides an efficient, rapid, and convenient method of gelatin extraction and a sustainable solution for fish industry byproduct utilization. The data obtained with this laboratory-scale study provides a strong basis for scale-up studies.